S.A. Mossman Photography and Film.
Have camera, will travel.
mossman.sara@gmail.com

So here's what I want you to do. Take every film about Europeans and their negative interactions with Native Americans. Do you have it? Good. Now take that and place it in a blender. Mix it up until it’s a thick pulpy mush. Throw said pulpy mush on a distant planet in the future and let sit for three hours. And...Voila, now you have James Cameron's highly anticipated and critically acclaimed film "Avatar".

I'm being entirely too harsh here, believe me I’m aware. "Avatar" centers around Jake Sully as he flies off to a wild and untamed alien world called “Pandora” where he will mentally link with a hybrid composed of the native alien species and human DNA. All of this is done in hopes that they can communicate with the native species and convince them to move so they can mine for a substance called “unobtainium”, a name that caused me to physically shudder from its transparency.

Overall the film is good, I don’t regret having paid $14.50 to see it in 3D. The 3D is where the film really shines. I honestly believe that it’s the closest I’ll ever get to physically inhabiting another world. The technical aspects are out of this world. Cameron should be proud of his technical prowess and the world that he crafted and designed into near perfection. But that’s where the perfection ends. Cameron spends so much time developing and establishing the Universe itself as legitimate that the actual character development takes a back seat. Every character is one dimensional and singular in their motivations. The bad guys are the bad guys and the good guys are perfect beings with little room for other thoughts on the characters. No real information is given about the characters backgrounds or why exactly they want the things they want. We just have to understand that they do.

“Avatar” tries to make a case against capitalism and military force, but the message becomes convoluted when they sum up the bad guys motivation in one sentence and then we are barred from interacting with those characters. When we see the flip side and watch Jake Sully as he takes in the new environment and culture we barely get time to embrace Sully or any of the other alien personas that we encounter. No the focus is all put on the environment itself and the odd and colorful creatures and landscapes that are found on the alien planet Pandora. We invest ourselves so much in the customs and practices of the culture that we find out little about who these people are.

Given all of the hype surrounding this film I had expected more, even going against my gut instinct that the film wouldn’t be that great based on the fact that every trailer released for “Avatar” tells you very little about the plot of the film and instead focuses on all of the action. Then the reviews came in and they were all overwhelmingly positive, and everyone had nothing but high praise for the film. I think something bigger is happening here though. Keep in mind that this is one of the most expensive films in history and the studio needs to make their money back.

It is by no means a bad movie, but it isn’t a great one either. I’ll probably forget all about it by this time tomorrow, but I will remember the lush cinematography and the incredible use of the 3D medium that transports you to another time and place.

At this point we all know MySpace is something that is trite. It's a site that's come down to 12 year olds pretending to be 18 and bands pushing themselves on you, but here's a band that's actually worth the click it takes to get to their profile. The name is Di Lirio and they come all the way from Caguas, Puerto Rico.

After a long time of searching they have finally found a sound that they can bank on. Their track "I Love to Hate You" has a solid pop punk sound. The vocals set them apart as something new and different in a genre filled with the same pubescent voices prattling on. They lend a feeling of maturity which isn't found in the pop punk scene, believe me I know. There's a structure there that makes this song catchy and makes you want to listen again and again. Songs like "My Disgrace" and "When You Used to Be Aqui" adds a hardcore aspect to the band that makes them edgy and rough around the edges, which in this case is a great thing.

Still updating and editing my portfolio. Looking for the best way to present it. Once that's finished I will be taking appointments for photography.

Also currently I am doing some shopping for a new camera. After a plethora of research I have decided on the Panasonic AG DVX-100B. Other projects on the table include working on writing a screenplay for a short film, I may turn it into a series. More on that later. I'm looking to create a production diary to post here once I get more of the project up and running. It certainly is a challenge to create when you have limited money and limited resources, but I'm working on all that. I've also been working with my associate Bryan Peterson on "Artform" our first feature length screenplay together. Once scripts are done we can put together a business plan and look for financing. Or just go it alone, low budget is always appealing. More challenging, but appealing none the less.

The beginning of something great is right here, there's just a lot to accomplish before any of this bears fruit. I'm looking forward to working hard and building something worthwhile from the ground up.

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense."

Production Companies head north to take advantage of immense opportunities.

With the effects of the recession weighing down on millions of Americans and the job market drying up many filmmakers are finding it near impossible to find film work in the metropolitan areas known for their ties to the industry. Cities like Los Angeles and New York don’t have enough work to support these scores of filmmakers and the number of studio projects are being reduced due to budgetary cuts. In the face of such adversity young filmmakers are taking their destinies into their own hands in attempts to create jobs not just for themselves, but their fellow filmmakers and the communities that support them.

ZoSu Company, a fledgling independent production company, is one such business that is taking advantage of the amount of film incentives given in many states. Starting out a little over a year ago in Orlando, Florida, a city known for its commercial work, the founders of ZoSu Company came together to create a production company specializing in independent feature films. President of the company, S.A. Mossman (samossman.blogspot.com), hopes to use the character of the city of Boston as a backdrop for her companies first feature “Artform”, a film about a young artist’s fall into sex and violence as a means of inspiration for his elaborate paintings. “The diversity and culture of the city is something that adds dimension to the film. Massachusetts is a state that has all the resources a filmmaker needs. Not only does it have gorgeous scenery and definitive architecture, but it’s a place full of talented individuals who, like our company, want to broaden their horizons and create unforgettable works of art.”

###

About ZoSu Company

ZoSu Company is an independent production company specializing in feature film work as well as commercial work and consultation.

I'd like to formerly introduce this blog into the world and still larger the vast medium we have dubbed the internet. What can be found herein are my findings as I scour this planet for inspiration, my work as a writer, photographer and director as well as production diaries and other interesting notes I may feel the need to pass on to the likes of you, my dear readers.

I can only hope that the information contained here will entertain and maybe if I'm lucky inform and enlighten you.